At Bey High
by Destiny Kitty
Summary: A collection of scenes of our favorite characters... at school! AU. Third story: Bryan has been fighting for Garland's attention for months, but one moment may ruin everything! MxK TxR BxG; more couples to come.
1. Kiss It Better

**Disclaimer:** characters by Takao Aoki, HUDSON SOFT/TAKARA/HASBRO, BEYBLADE PROJECT, TV TOKYO, Nelvana.

**Warning**: Fluff, shonen-ai, and random violence. Yay! More on my favorite boys :D

**Author's Note**: Those of you who know my deviantArt Beyblade gallery may remember two sketches I put up of Beyblade characters as highschoolers (if you don't, come check it out! destinykitty . deviantart .com/art/Bey-High-girls-colorpage-3-117271265). I would like to write multiple scenes from that general brain wave as well as the original story it was meant to accompany, but for now, I have this :)

I'll admit that this is based on an actual incident. I consider myself fairly level-headed (thought I'm actually quite passive-aggressive) and it made me pretty mad, so you can imagine where someone as temperamental as Tala would have issues… heh.

I know the title is lame, but I can't think of a better one right now. And as per the image I referenced earlier, Kai, Rei, and Garland are all girls. And I like Ivanov better than Valkov…

**------At ****Bey High****------**

_by destinykitty_

Kiss It Better

There are those who are impossible to read, whose well-controlled emotions are rarely betrayed in an accidental look or word. They are those who can look you in the eye with unnerving intensity and never betray their own thoughts.

One Kai Hiwatari comes to mind.

Then there are those who cannot; those who wear their hearts on their sleeves, who can be read like an open book. Whose emotions can be felt in their intensity by anyone who strays too close. These are the types who show with every motion their joy, anger, frustration.

Tala Ivanov stomped down the halls of Bey High, pinning innocent passers-by with a glare so ferocious that it sent the faint of heart, and anyone concerned for their own safety, scurrying out of his way. Over the malicious curl of his lip, his spiked hair appeared more demonic than usual.

In step with the madman, the like-minded self-proclaimed maniac Bryan Kuznetsov was enjoying the show. Bryan was one of the few people who actually took pleasure in the downswings of the volatile redhead's moods. He enjoyed any situation that resulted in trauma to the general school population and found it almost as amusing to watch others create havoc as to make trouble himself. So when he caught sight of a certain small, fierce bluenette approaching from the opposite direction, his immediate spark of interest in the impending argument was tempered by the likely possibility that Kai would talk Tala down from his towering bad mood, which Bryan had been provoking and worsening all morning.

Tala also recognized the significance of Kai's presence, even through his haze of anger. He took an abrupt turn and knocked several students out of his way as he cut across the hall to avoid her. Bryan followed, as did Kai.

"Hi, Tala," the bluenette greeted. The redhead found himself facing a wall and turned reluctantly toward his friend, grumbling under his breath.

"I heard you weren't doing well today," continued Kai, watching him critically. He did not respond, gazing over her head and down the busy hallway, but she kept an eye on his body language. "Rei said you practically bit her head off this morning."

Tala shoved his hands in the uppermost pockets of his oversized cargo pants, giving a small twitch of one shoulder in answer. She read the unimportance of this incident and probed further. "Did something happen at home?"

Bryan's laugh made Tala's answer unnecessary. "Hah! He's just pissed 'cuz he lost a fight with a towel rack," he relayed with malevolent pleasure.

"Shut up," Tala hissed. "That's not what happened."

"I saw the whole thing," Bryan continued, grinning. "It hooked his hoodie and fell right on his head."

"Bryan!" Tala now looked even more annoyed as the stinging embarrassment of the truth adding insult to injury.

"Bryan, knock it off," Kai warned. Bryan had the audacity to look unimpressed until she mentioned, "Vice-principle Barthez is looking for you, by the way. Something about Garland's locker…?"

"Oh, I forgot about that," Bryan said, his grin becoming slightly softer. Kai raised an eyebrow. "What! I was just—"

As Bryan tried to defend himself to Kai, Tala turned away. He knew Bryan had been purposefully riling him up all morning, but he couldn't help getting annoyed when the silver-haired boy had spent their entire ride to school talking about what a freak he was and how everyone was going to ridicule him when they heard he was such a zombie in the morning that a simple piece of furniture had taken him out. He ran a hand gently up the back of his head, wincing as his fingers met the sore spot on his scalp.

"Hey Tala, look who it is! Maybe your little fairy can kiss it better," Bryan's voice goaded, interrupting an attempt by Kai to reason with the nutcase. Tala looked up to see a short pink-haired boy approaching, his smile of greeting being replaced with a look of hesitant uncertainty.

"Tala?" he ventured, looking cutely concerned. "Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," Tala replied sulkily. Raul glanced from the determinedly uninterested redhead to the sympathetic bluenette standing close by. Bryan opened his mouth to continue causing trouble but was interrupted as a shout down the hall announced, "Bryan Kuznetsov, I am going to kill you!"

"Ah, there's my little ball of joy," Bryan smirked as Garland stormed into view. "And how is the ice princess this morning?"

"I was _fine_ until I got _here_ this morning and found my locker _welded shut_! What the hell is wrong with you?" Garland demanded, stabbing a finger at Bryan's coolly unconcerned face.

"Say you'll go out with me and I'll fix it," teased Bryan.

"I wouldn't go out with you if you were the only man left on earth!" she screeched.

"Come on, that's not very nice," he replied, having the audacity to look hurt.

"Don't give me that look, you idiot!"

"Fine," he huffed. Grabbing her by both arms, he pulled Garland against his chest and crushed their lips together. She struggled out of his grip and threw a violent punch at his head, which he barely ducked in time.

He made a run for it and Garland dashed after him down the hall, repeatedly renewing her vow to kill Bryan as he goaded her back about how much she really wanted to chase him.

"Do I want to know?" a sexy voice questioned rhetorically as a tall blond joined them, wrapping his arms around Kai from behind. She looked up to meet his greeting kiss.

A warning bell sounded overhead and Kai vaguely waved goodbye to the remaining couple, Miguel's arm around her shoulders as the pair strolled off in the direction of their first class. Raul looked up at Tala, who was staring away unseeingly.

"Tala? Is… something wrong?"

The redhead sighed deeply; dropping his shoulders in defeat, he finally looked directly at Raul. "Come here," he ordered gently.

Raul happily obeyed, relieved to have Tala's strong arms clasp him snugly to the redhead's body. Closing his eyes, Tala rested his chin on top of Raul's head, squeezing his boyfriend more and more tightly until the tiny boy squeaked.

"Sorry," he murmured, releasing his grip. Raul looked up adoringly, shaking his head.

"No, its ok," he smiled, clinging to Tala's shirt. "Feel better yet?"

"Mm, almost," Tala murmured. Slipping one hand up Raul's back, he tangled his fingers in the boy's two-toned spikes. Raul stretched up on his toes as Tala leaned down over him, pressing their lips together.

Raul lost himself in the heat of the kiss as Tala's lips moved hungrily over his own, until the last bell interrupted them. The smaller pulled back reluctantly, only to find himself trapped by Tala's arms behind his back. "Tala, we're late for class."

The redhead nodded once, a grin slowly growing over his face. "Yup, we're late already." The grin widened as he caught Raul's hand, pulling him down the deserted hallway toward the closest exit. "Come on, let's skip."

"Tala!"

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What do you think? Please review!

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	2. Stress

**Disclaimer:** characters by Takao Aoki, HUDSON SOFT/TAKARA/HASBRO, BEYBLADE PROJECT, TV TOKYO, Nelvana.

**Warning**: Fluff.

**Author's Note**: Again, if you haven't seen them, this is the picture of the ukes/girls (Garland, Kai, Raul, Rei, and Brooklyn): destinykitty. deviantart. com/art/Bey-High-girls-colorpage-3-117271265 and this one is of Kai and Miguel: destinykitty. deviantart. com/art/Miguel-x-girl-Kai-colorpage-3-117273596

Elemental Gypsy requested more fluff featuring her pet couple, and I felt like I should explain the Bryan incident better; hense, this chapter was born. Enjoy!

**------At ****Bey High****------**

_by destiny kitty_

Stress

"Uugh."

A lithe bluenette dropped tiredly to the ground, rubbing her forehead in a disbelieving manner. The blond beside whom she was seated raised his eyebrows sympathetically.

"That bad, huh?"

"Don't even get me started," Kai grumbled, shaking her head. Then, seeming to snap, "I don't know where he comes up with these things!"

"Who, Bryan?" her companion asked.

"Yes, Bryan! That nutcase…"

"What is it this time? I know Garland was pretty mad at him, but that seems to happen almost every day."

"Yeah, well, Bryan's gotten into doing these kind of completely ridiculous 'displays of affection' almost once a week now. I almost wish she would just go out with the damn idiot so I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore."

"That would make things simpler," Miguel agreed, offering Kai two sandwiches. "Plain or mayo?"

She chose one, tearing off a sizable bite and chewing aggressively for a few moments. Once she had swallowed she continued. "I just can't believe him. He actually defended himself to me, told me about how long it took to weld that door shut so neatly, how late he stayed after school on Friday. Vice-principal Barthez wants to ban him from the workshop and all shop classes now. Bryan went nuts."

"Can't blame him, I guess," Miguel agreed reasonably. "He spends most of his time there."

"Yeah, so I had to tell him how to smooth things over with Garland _and_ the administration, plus then Tala skipped class _again_ this morning, dragging Raul along with him."

"They didn't do anything destructive, too, did they?"

"No, I'm sure they were just making out in Tala's car," Kai snorted, then sighed in exhaustion. "I can't deal with this. It's only Monday."

"Then don't. They're both sixteen years old – they can take care of themselves."

"Yeah, it's the rest of the world that I'm worried about. And Raul's barely fourteen."

"I meant your 'brothers'," Miguel smiled. Catching her wrist, he pulled her closer, demanding playfully, "Come here."

Kai set down her lunch and complied, allowing Miguel to pull her onto his lap and wrap muscular arms around her slim waist and shoulders. Closing ruby red eyes she willingly met his kiss, running her hands through his wild blond hair and over his neck and shoulders.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as Miguel's mouth moved sensuously over hers and his warm hands caressed her back. She pressed closer to him so their bodies were flush against each other, heartbeats running in rapid tandem. Miguel clasped her tighter in his arms, burying a hand in the long blue hair at the back of her head as her fingers played over the muscles of his shoulders.

After several minutes of wordless exchange, Kai settled comfortably into Miguel's lap, turning to face down the hill into the schoolyard where their friends and classmates were also enjoying the sun and a few minutes of free time. Sighing, she rested her head against Miguel's shoulder, closing her eyes peacefully.

"Feel better?" asked Miguel gently, kissing the top of her head. His right arm remained around her waist, keeping her comfortably secure in his grasp. She nodded against his chest.

"We have a few more minutes. You have time to finish eating," he encouraged.

"Ok," she half-heartedly agreed, accepting the sandwich he handed her. Both make quick work of the food, idly watching other students from their perch atop the hill by the schoolyard. Miguel began to gently massage the back of Kai's neck, seeking and soothing points of tension.

The pair rose reluctantly at the sound of the bell signaling the end of their lunch break, gathering the remnants of trash left from their lunch. Miguel's fingers intertwined with Kai's as they strolled down the hill to a trash barrel, then toward the back entrance of the cafeteria.

"Are you free tonight?" Miguel asked as they paced up the halls, dodging an irritated-looking Scotsman chasing a smaller, giggling boy. Johnny's receding shout – "Daichi! Get back here!" – was almost lost in the noise of the halls at passing time.

"Yeah, I can come over around seven," Kai said, turning toward her boyfriend as they reached the point where they had to part. Miguel wrapped his arms around her shoulders as hers laced around his hips. She rested her head against his chest momentarily, breathing in a deep, calming breathe.

"Don't worry about it," Miguel murmured, smoothing a hand over her hair. "Everything will be fine. And just think of the stories you'll be able to tell our children someday."

"Our children, huh?" asked Kai skeptically.

"Yeah, well… you do still want some, right?"

Kai smiled at the concern in his voice and tugged on the front of Miguel's shirt, pulling him into another kiss. "As long as they don't end up like Bryan," she acquiesced.

"I'll check my family tree for insanity," joked Miguel.

Smiling softly, Kai gazed tenderly up into his bright sapphire eyes. "I love you."

Miguel smiled back and dipped his head to catch her lips once again. "I love you too, Kai."

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Please review!

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	3. Too Much

**Disclaimer:** characters by Takao Aoki, HUDSON SOFT/TAKARA/HASBRO, BEYBLADE PROJECT, TV TOKYO, Nelvana.

**Warning**: Fast scene changes and the gay couple making out.

**Thank you** to my reviewers (Blaze Queenie, Rapunzelle, Deviant Vixen, Elemental Gypsy, SouthernDragon, and The Flea) and those adding my stories to their watch and favorites lists (sorry don't have a list =__=).

**Author's Note**: After much mental debate, Claude has joined the ranks of the girls, mostly because I didn't want to stress Garland out about one _more_ thing….

After the last chapter Blaze Queenie wanted more BxG and EG asked for Kai to try to smooth things over with Garland, but naturally in my stories things just got even more complicated— this story has been kicking around in my head for a while. I guess I'm going to inflict it on you all now that I found a good format. Please don't hate me too much.… XD

I suppose with all the back-and-forth scene changes you're all going to be as confused as the characters, but that is kind of the point.

**------At ****Bey High****------**

_by destiny kitty_

**Too Much**

----------------

"You've got to be kidding me! Is that the best you can say, he's _not that bad_!!"

Kai pursed her lips, taking a quick calming breath before plunging back into the argument. _Kind of like swimming against a strong current, _she thought as she quickened her step to keep up with the taller girl in front of her. "Garland…."

Kai touched Garland's arm but she pulled away and continued storming down the hall.

Deciding just to follow for now, Kai let Garland's troubled wake pull her forward.

*****

"But what happens if—"

"Aw, Raul, relax. I am not going to be expelled and neither are you. Calm down."

"But, Julia said…"

The lanky redhead chuckled, abruptly pushing Raul against a row of lockers. "Hush, you silly little fairy."

"Hey," Raul protested weakly at the nickname, though he gave up quickly as Tala's mouth covered his. A muffled moan escaped interlocked lips as the two clung to each other.

*****

"Garland, I'm serious. Just listen—"

Garland turned momentarily between two parked cars to jab her finger at Kai. "No, you listen, Kai. I am sick and tired of constantly being harassed and, just, argh! He drives me crazy!"

Kai sighed. "I know, but—"

"Kai, you can_not_ be defending him."

"He loves you."

"Like hell he does!"

"Look, Garland, I know he's an idiot and a pain in the ass, but that's Bryan."

"And I am sick to death of all these professions of _love_ that he keeps putting me through!" She banged a fist on the top of her car to accent the hated word, then focused her excessively energy into finding her keys.

Kai sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Garland gave an exasperated gasp, and shouted, "And he broke into my car again!"

*****

"Did you hear something?" Raul panted.

"Mmm," Tala murmured uninterestedly, continuing to trail caressing kisses down Raul's neck.

"T-Tala, I think that—"

"Ssshh," shushed the redhead, catching his lips again.

Raul pushed Tala away, giving himself enough room to exclaim, "There's someone up here!"

"Aw, come on, Raul." Tala always tried to be patient with Raul's insecurities about displays of affection in public places; however, sometimes the passionate redhead found it very difficult to control himself.

"But listen!"

Tala rolled his eyes but humored the boy, and they both stood still for a moment. The odd noise sounded again.

"It sounds like… crying."

Tala gazed into the sympathetic green eyes staring up at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

*****

"How could he— aargh! He has no respect, no concept of personal—"

"That's beautiful."

Unexpectedly side-tracked, Garland stared at Kai. "What?'

Kai took the girl's hand, raising it to display the item Garland had found in her car, proof of Bryan's recent break-in. "It's heavy and kind of rough, but I think that suits him, don't you?"

Garland stared, speechless. Now that she took the time to consider it, the worked-iron rose _was_ rather attractive. It had a basic design but obviously a fair amount of work had gone into its creation. As she looked closer, she caught the faint tracing of letters on the stem of the rose – her name, scratched into the worked metal.

Grudgingly, she acquiesced. "Yeah, I suppose so."

*****

"Hey, are you ok?"

The silver-haired girl nodded, still sobbing brokenly into her hands. Raul glanced up at Tala and tried again.

"Are you sure?"

"Just – leave – I'll be f-fine—" Her voice cracked on the last word and sobs once again overwhelmed her voice.

"Tala, maybe we should get someone…"

"I'll find Kai," the redhead responded immediately, mostly in hopes of alleviating Raul's concern. The boy had a tendency to get worked up over people who were hurt and he didn't want to give Raul the chance to stress out about this weeping girl.

Bounding down a staircase he spotted a familiar spiky silver head and called, "Bryan! Have you seen Kai?"

*****

"He has been fighting for your attention for a long time. You _could_ at _least_ give him a chance."

Garland frowned at her rose, mulling over Kai's words. The prospect of a completely devoted boyfriend was not entirely repulsive, and it would at least save her the stress of wondering what new horror awaited her at school each day. Hopefully his displays of affection could be tempered to a more manageable level, if she had some say in the matter.

"I suppose so," she slowly agreed, not looking up. If she had she would have seen the relief cross Kai's face at her hesitant words.

*****

Idly wondering what Tala was worried about, Bryan ambled into the art room only to hear what sounded like crying. His eyes followed the sound to see Tala's little fairy crouched against a wall; probably the source of the noise, he thought dismissively. It would make sense. But then he caught a glimpse of silver hair. Sea-green eyes widened.

"Garland! Are you alright?" he called fearfully as he bolted towards the girl, dropping to his knees at her side.

Raul was the one to respond. "Oh! Bryan, it's you. Would you stay here for a minute? I need to find some tissues for Claude."

"Huh?" Bryan protested, confused by the sudden demand, but Raul was already disappearing through the door. Bryan glanced after the tiny boy, then back to the silver-haired girl.

She did not push him away or make any snippy comments, and Bryan realized his mistake even before the noticing her surprised, red-rimmed silver eyes. He dropped her wrists, which he had grabbed to pull her hands away from her face.

She curled back up over her knees but stayed silent, watching him warily, tears running down her pale cheeks every time she blinked. Trying to be comforting, Bryan slid closer and settled an arm over her thin shoulders.

*****

"Kai! There you are!"

"Oh, Tala. What is it?"

"Raul found some girl who's crying her eyes out. Would you mind…?"

Kai sighed. "Yes, I'll come see what's wrong with her." She turned back to Garland.

*****

"And what about you?"

Bryan scratched the back of his neck, then sighed. "It's… well… the girl I love hates me."

"I'm sure she does not hate you," Claude sniffed, voice whispery from crying.

"Yeah, she does."

"But you do so many things for her," she argued. "You are a very nice boy."

Bryan shrugged dolefully.

"I will tell my cousin that she is crazy."

*****

"Come inside, Garland. I'll see whoever Tala is talking about, then we can go find Bryan and tell him that you are willing to give him a chance."

"Can't it wait for tomorrow?" Garland protested in a whine.

"No, I think you should do it now, before you change your mind. Besides, Bryan is suspended for the rest of the week because of the locker incident."

Garland bit her lip, steeling herself, then nodded.

*****

"Wait, Garland is your cousin?"

Claude shrugged. "Yes, I am staying with her and my aunt and uncle for the semester."

"That's so weird," Bryan mused. "No offense, but you are nothing like her. Except for the hair."

"She is not ladylike at all," Claude sniffed, then blew her nose again. "My mother would be appalled at her behavior, it is so improper. Such as the way she treats you."

"Yeah, well, I guess that's why I like her. She's fun, you know? And tough and interesting…."

*****

"So where are they, Tala?"

"I left Raul with her in the art room. I suppose they are still there; she didn't look in much shape to get up. I mean she wasn't physically hurt, for what I saw…."

"Ok, ok. Just lead on."

"Lucky it's so close to the parking lot, huh?"

*****

"Just tell her that, and I think she will give you a chance."

"I don't know…."

"Bryan, please. I know my cousin. She is not always as vile as she seems—"

"Ooh, ouch."

Claude smiled, then sighed, dropping her head.

"You gonna to be ok?" Bryan asked.

Claude shrugged, and sniffed. "I'm just—"

*****

"Ok, they were right in here…."

*****

Claude nodded quietly, then leaned closer. Her lips met Bryan's cheek as he turned toward her, away from the door, looking shocked.

*****

"BRYAN!!!"

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**A/N** Next chapter is Bryan POV. He will explain Claude's problem and what happens next.

Please review! I'm working on the next chapter!

**VVVVV**


	4. Wrong, Wrong, Right

**Disclaimer:** characters by Takao Aoki, HUDSON SOFT/TAKARA/HASBRO, BEYBLADE PROJECT, TV TOKYO, Nelvana.

**Thank you** to my reviewers Demolition-GIRL-33236, Vina Eldest Siren of Fire, Elemental Gypsy, Deviant Vixen, and Blaze Queenie! And **thank you** to those adding me and my stories to their watch and favorites lists!

**Author's Note**: So, do two wrongs make a right? Put Bryan and Garland together and let's find out!

Hope you didn't mind the wait too much. This was mostly finished last week when I published the other half but I've been editing it, and busy with other things. Sorry about the confusion over the "complete" status, I forgot to change that!

FYI, _shacked up_ is a euphemism for having sex. Oh Bryan and his dirty mind… XD

**------At ****Bey High****------**

_by destiny kitty_

**Wrong, Wrong, Right**

I'm not even sure how I ended up there, really. I was just wandering down the hall with some metal scraps the shop teacher wanted delivered to the art room, waiting for Tala to be done sucking Raul's face off so we could go home, when Tala ran by asking if I had seen Kai. I told him that I hadn't and she must have found someone else to yell at for a while; either that or her boyfriend had her shacked up in a bathroom somewhere. Not my business but she seemed a little tense, if you get my drift. Needed some loosening up.

So anyway I got to the art room and there was Tala's little fairy on the ground. At first I thought **he** was the one crying and the reason Tala had run for Kai, but then I noticed the girl sitting on the floor next to him.

For one crazy moment I thought it was Garland and bolted for her like the love-sick fool I am to see what was wrong. Tears or none I would help Garland, even if she **does** hate me.

It took about as long to realize that Garland would never sit on a floor sobbing as it did to notice that this girl's soft silver hair was cropped to chin length, and when she picked up her head, those red-rimmed gray eyes were definitely not the amethysts I am used to seeing full of fiery hatred.

At least when I prank Garland she looks at me, talks to me. **Notices** me.

As soon as Raul realized I was there he ran off, calling something about tissues and begging me to stay with Claude for a minute. I had intended to leave when I realized this was not Garland, but I am not a total bastard, no matter some people's opinion, so I stayed.

It was really awkward. The girl curled up, trying not to seem like she was still crying. Maybe she didn't want me to watch. I **am** a lot more intimidating than Tala or Raul, obviously. I didn't want her to get more upset, so I put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"What are you crying about, anyway?" I asked her.

She flashed those silver eyes up at me and stammered something about not crying. I said she was, and asked if she was lonely or something.

That seemed to hit a nerve 'cuz she welled all up and started bawling even harder than before, and I really hoped Raul was coming back with those tissues soon, or maybe a towel. But he was nowhere in sight so I shuffled around to find my bandana from the workshop, which I had not used after being banned from the workshop all week by the administration for messing with Garland's locker. It didn't look dirty, so I gave it to the sniffling girl.

After drying her eyes and blowing her nose she said something that definitely wasn't English and unfortunately was not Russian either, so I didn't understand.

Being a blunt kind of guy I asked her what she had said.

She smiled a shaky little smile and said thank you, then after playing around with my bandana for another minute, said it was something **he** would do.

I don't know this girl so of course I had no idea who she was talking about, and since she had kinda stopped crying for a bit I decided to ask, thinking it might distract her.

It didn't work. She got all weepy again and cried a name at me— "Robert."

Well I **still** didn't know who that was and was getting annoyed with the tears so I pressed on with my questions, still hoping she would stop crying or Raul and Tala would get back here.

The whimpering didn't stop but she told me that Robert was her boyfriend back home and she really misses him 'cuz she's here in the States staying with her cousin's family for a semester, so she hasn't seen him in over a month and she's super lonely.

I guess I could relate to that. I mean, Garland doesn't return my feelings so she's not really my girlfriend, but I get all achy and weird when I'm away from her for a long time, like over holidays and summer vacation. I suppose that's what people call loneliness, and obviously this girl was hurting, so I put my other arm around her and let her cry into my shoulder for a while.

This round of tears didn't last as long— I think she had already cried herself to the point of exhaustion.

Soon we were just sitting on the floor, me leaning back against a wall and rocking her a bit, she with her head under my shoulder and one hand balled up in my bandana on my chest, so she could mop up her eyes or nose whenever necessary.

Something gave me away, a sigh maybe, because eventually Claude asked what was wrong in my life.

I stalled for a bit, but then decided to man up and admit that the girl I love pretty much hates me.

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you," Claude sniffed, voice whispery from all the crying.

"Yeah, she does," I assured her.

"But you do so many things for her," she argued. "You are a very nice boy."

I shrugged, not really listening, though I wondered how she knew about my exploits chasing Garland when I didn't even know who she was. Then again, I suppose the whole school pretty much knows that I like Garland and she doesn't like me.

Then Claude said something that really caught my attention for the first time. "I will tell my cousin that she is crazy."

"Wait, Garland is your cousin?" I asked really fast, practically falling over to try to see her face.

She didn't seem interested in this shocking news, but elaborated. "Yes, I am staying with her and my aunt and uncle for the semester."

"That's so weird," I muttered. "No offense, but you are nothing like her. Except for the hair."

"She is not ladylike at all," Claude sniffed, then wiped her nose again. "My mother would be appalled at her behavior, it is so improper. Such as the way she treats you."

"Yeah, well, I guess that's why I like her. She's fun, you know? And tough and interesting… and the way she moves… and she can fight! She's just so… amazing… cool, I guess. I donno. I really like her a lot." Between my pathetic attempt to describe my feelings and the fact that I was saying anything about them at all, not to mention it was to someone I had just barely met, I could feel my face getting hot. I shifted uncomfortably.

"It is hard to say exactly why we love someone," Claude said vaguely, reflectively. I didn't look up but nodded in agreement. This was philosophical stuff and I'm not good with stuff I can't see and hold.

"But you have all those reasons. Just tell her, and I think she will give you a chance."

"I don't know…" I protested. The idea of Garland giving me time to explain my feelings was about as unlikely as me finding the words to explain them in the first place. I had been trying to _show_ them for months now and I'm pretty sure all my attempts had just made things worse. How many times had she said that she hated me?

"Bryan, please," Claude pleaded. I glanced at her, and she seemed more upset or worried than I would have expected. "I know my cousin. She is not always as vile as she seems—"

"Ooh, ouch."

Claude smiled, then sighed, dropping her head.

"You gonna to be ok?" I asked impulsively.

Claude shrugged, and sniffed. "I'm just… so… tired, I guess."

I watched her lay her head weakly against my arm, thinking that all this emotional stuff was clearly not worth the trouble. All it does is cause problems. "Want me to take you home?" I pressed. I could afford to be nice to her; she had tried to help me, even if I was a hopeless cause.

There was a noise in the hall and I glanced toward the door across the room, wondering if Tala or Raul were back. This whole closeness thing could be difficult to explain.

Claude nodded quietly, then leaned closer. "Thank you," she murmured in an almost inaudible tone. I turned to see if she was falling asleep and her lips met my cheek.

My eyes jumped wide apart as the feather-light kiss lifted and an explosion of noise from the other side of the room made me jump.

I swore—I hate being surprised—as I whipped around to see who had screamed my name even though I know that voice so well….

Garland was standing in the door. My gaze met hers, watching heart-stopping shock and overwhelming disappointment and livid anger pass through her beautiful eyes. I felt frozen, unable to think of anything to do or say. She looked so upset.

After several deep breaths, Garland spoke. Her voice was quiet, deadly, but still perfectly audible in the silent room. Or maybe I just could not hear anything else. All my being was focused solely on her face, her voice, her eyes.

"I _knew_," she breathed, "I couldn't trust you. I _knew_ you were a fake. You've been playing with me this whole time, haven't you? Driving me crazy because it's funny to tease the weird tomboy-girl. Professions of _love_, ha! You wouldn't know love if it hit you over the head."

She flung something at me that clattered against the floor with a metallic ring. "Keep your _love_, if that's what you call it. I could care less. I will never speak to you again. Do you hear me, Bryan? _NEVER_."

She turned heel and stalked out of the room.

Out of my life.

**Forever….**

After what seemed like an eternity, I blinked.

My mind did not seem to be working properly.

I dropped my gaze to the ground to see what she had thrown at me. It had landed near my foot. From this angle, it looked like a twisted piece of silver and green scrap metal.

Car metal.

I recognized it, bleakly, finally, as the rose I had made for her. My last profession of love, the love she had rejected.

I got up slowly, stiffly. "Let's go home, Claude," I tried to say, choking on the words. I'm not sure how much of what I said was understandable.

She protested, shaking her head, because her cousin would be there. I nodded hollowly and stepped toward the door. There was something blue, and something red, near the floor. I blinked, trying to focus.

Tala was holding Kai. She looked like she was asleep. _Weird_, I thought vaguely. "Tala?" I asked in confusion. _Have they been here the whole time?_

Tala spoke, and his words included **stress **and** fainted**. I was still too overwhelmed to really grasp what was going on but as he lifted her, I moved to help.

My arms still worked; my strength was intact. I cradled her in my arms, my petite adopted sister, and let Tala fetch Claude. A pink-haired head was bobbing around at chest-level. Raul led our sorry procession to Tala's car. Tala had taken charge.

Kai roused herself in the parking lot. Unhappy to find herself in my arms she immediately demanded to be put down, but I did not comply until we had reached the car, where two tall blonds soon joined our group. One took Kai in his arms, folding her securely against his chest and letting her bury her face in his shirt. The other moved around the group, asking questions, more to some of us than others.

Through my fog I found that I could still understand Spencer's voice. I responded in nods and listless shrugs; words seemed unnecessary, too much effort to fathom.

Eventually we went home.

I stayed there. I didn't have the energy to do anything. I was told when to move or eat or sleep. Tala went to school, but Kai did not. She stayed in bed. I heard people talk about **emotional stress**, though I didn't know if they meant me or her.

Others came and went: Spencer, Raul, Miguel, Claude. Claude tried the hardest to get me to speak, but failed. Kai avoided me. I heard Tala tell Raul that she was exasperated. I couldn't think of a reason why.

The weekend came. I only recognized it because Saturday was the first day that week that did not start with a zombie-like Tala falling out of bed, tripping down the stairs, or walking into a piece of furniture. On the weekends he usually does not move before noon.

I would have slept in but I had exerted so little energy over the past few days that extra sleep was unnecessary. Kai was in the kitchen when I wandered downstairs, so I continued outside.

Even meandering around the yard was too much effort. I sat down on a short garden wall, staring at my idle hands. I had never spent this much time doing nothing, yet I still had no desire to move, to wake up. Something serious was missing, destroyed, and I could not recover without it.

I slumped, one hand supporting my chin, the other on my heart.

Time slipped by meaninglessly as it had all week. I do not know how long I sat there in the yard, watching ants crawl over my bare feet and the movement of shadows in the grass. I did not come back to the present until I heard my name.

"Bryan?"

It was not the voice I wanted to hear; apathetically I glanced up. Claude was back. But there was a second silver-haired figure behind her….

I looked away, chest constricting painfully. _Garland!_ _Why is she here?_

Claude said something more, about leaving us alone. A mild scuffle ensued, ending with a pair of worn running sneakers stumbling into my line of sight. Garland yelled something at Claude, who did not respond.

Neither of us moved nor spoke for an endless stretch of time. Or perhaps time had stopped. Certainly my breathing had.

Finally, unable to avoid facing the inevitable any longer, I slowly looked up.

Garland was standing rather close by, shoes pointed at me so I figured she was at least facing my direction. Faded sweats covered her long legs, the kind she usually wore while training. Her hands were clenched into tight fists at her side, shaking slightly, and her whole body seemed to be trembling. Letting curiosity take over I glanced up to catch her eye.

She was glaring down at me. We stared at each other for a while, then she raised one fist.

The blow struck me flat across the face.

I took in a surprised breathe, letting one hand jump to my smarting cheek. It was not an entirely surprising move from her, but I had not expected it just then. Our eyes again locked.

Her whole body shuddered, and then she did something truly shocking.

She drew in a sudden choked breath as if trying not to cry and lurched forward into me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she buried her face in them, against my ear; her shoulders continued to jump as though silent sobs were tearing their way out of her. Tentatively I reached up, curving my arms around her waist, breathing in the scent of her shirt.

I felt my heart skip a beat.

Garland's unsteady breathing quickened beside my ear and she whispered fiercely, "_Never _do something like that to me _ever _again."

"Do what?" I asked hoarsely. It was the first time I had spoken in five days.

Was she mad about the rose I had made her?

I wondered what had happened to it.

"Kiss anyone else," she clarified, still in that ferocious half-whisper.

"I've never wanted to," I murmured. It was true. I ached to know that when she left me here alone, I would never be happy again. But she was the one I loved and I wanted to love only her.

Should I tell her that? Was that what Claude had said, way back before I had gone numb?

"I love you," I whispered, hoping she wouldn't get too mad about it. She usually started shouting at me when I mentioned my affection for her. Mentally I cringed, thinking of the trauma to my ears if she started screaming at this close proximity, but held on to her even more tightly. I was not going to let go until she made me.

"I… Iloveyoutoo."

I frowned, replaying the rushed words in my head, then froze.

She…

…**LOVED ME?**

I couldn't help it; I had to know the truth behind her words. I pulled away slightly, trying to catch sight of her expression. She somehow let me overcome her grip on my neck and leaned back slightly.

Her lips were parted slightly as she continued to breathe unsteadily, face paler than usual, eyes newly worried as I drew away from her. The buds of tears decorated the corners of her red-rimmed amethyst eyes. I wondered whether she had not been sleeping at all or crying a lot.

I put my hands on either side of her face, wiping the tears away with my thumbs, and then pulled her closer and gently kissed her forehead.

She stared at me, confusion clear in her expression. She looked so adorable that I had to bite my lip to keep from kissing her lips.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"Oh," I said, surprised. "I don't want to do anything to upset you."

A slight frown marring her expression, she asked, "What do you want to do that will upset me?"

"Kiss you," I stated frankly. I was starting to feel a little better. She hadn't screamed at me yet, though this was the real test. I gazed apologetically up at her, watching her consider my words.

To my utter surprise and absolute joy, she laughed; climbing into my lap to straddle my hips, she ordered, "So kiss me, you idiot."

I waited one moment for her to change her mind, then locked my arms around her and caught her lips with my own. For the first time ever Garland did not fight or push me away; quite the opposite, she grabbed my hair in one fist to force our mouths closer and pressed her body against mine, holding me with one arm around my shoulders.

Her strength was impressive. I responded with my own, crushing her against my chest, plundering her mouth with my tongue. She pushed her tongue between my teeth, wrapped her legs around my waist, leaned into me as though trying to push me onto my back.

"_Finally_, Bryan. Took you two long enough."

Surprised by the sarcastic voice, we abruptly broke apart and looked around to where Kai stood, hands on her hips, a towel hanging from one arm. I shrugged and was going to ignore her when Garland called back, "Aren't you late for a pool date with Mr. Sexy-in-a-Speedo?"

Kai bristled, but sure enough we immediately heard Miguel's voice from around the front of the house, calling Kai's name. Torn, Kai glanced from us to the direction of his voice.

"At least go inside. I don't want to deal with complaints from the neighbors about dogs mating in our yard," Kai shot at us.

"Ok bye-bye, kid. Don't drool on Miguel too much," Garland teased sweetly, making Kai blush. She shot another glare at Garland and disappeared from view.

"Someone has a death wish," I joked, gazing at Garland. She smirked evilly.

"Hey, you may be an idiot, but you're _my_ idiot. No one insults my idiot but _me_."

Grinning, I relented. "I guess I can live with that."

"Am I giving you a choice?"

I laughed. "Hah! You just can't keep your hands off me."

Before she could retaliate or make any threats to do just that, I reclaimed her lips and mouth, making sure she could not say **anything** for a good long time.

We had a lot of wasted time to make up for.

----------------

Oh my goodness, Bryan. I know you're repressed after chasing Garland around for so long, but did you have to be so long-winded about it? XD

I like Claude so I wanted to pair her up with someone nice. Robert seems like a good guy, stable and such, so I picked him. It works for the story because he's European. *shrug*

*EDIT* Occurred to me that some of you don't know... Kai and Miguel are on the swim team and headed to Saturday practice. One of the pictures I mentioned in the first chapters was of them at the pool.

On a suggestion I'm considering the story from a third angle, that of Claude and Miguel (the back story about how Garland came to accept Bryan's affection as genuine) but I'm not sure if I'll get to writing it .

Oh and if you happen to see the anime "Peach Girl" (which you should because it's worth it) wouldn't Toji make a great version of older teenage Bryan?! 3

Please review!

**VVVVV**


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